Rory’s drought, Tiger’s health and Scheffler’s dominance – US PGA talking points

Brooks Koepka will defend his title when Valhalla stages the 106th US PGA Championship from May 16th-19th.

Here, we look at some of the main talking points ahead of the year’s second major championship.

For the second time in three years, Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hVKptJoGyp

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024

Scheffler has been almost unstoppable in 2024, winning four times in his last five starts and finishing second in the other.

That run includes claiming a second Masters title and becoming the first player to successfully defend the Players Championship.

Only the imminent birth of his first child looks to have the potential to derail Scheffler’s season, with the world number one skipping the Wells Fargo Championship ahead of the US PGA.

A total of 16 players from the Saudi-funded breakaway will be competing in Louisville.

While several qualified through previous major championship victories, the likes of Talor Gooch, Joaquin Niemann and David Puig all received invites.

Gooch has been particularly vocal on the subject of LIV players not having a pathway into majors so it will be interesting to see if he can post a first top-10 finish at the 12th attempt.

Woods again defied the odds when he played 23 holes on day two of the weather-effected Masters to make a record 24th consecutive cut, only to slump to a third round of 82, his worst score at Augusta National by four shots.

The 48-year-old has not played competitively since and has had to accept an invite from the USGA for next month’s US Open after his exemption for winning the 2019 Masters ran out.

The end of his incredible career may not be far away.

This shot from Rory McIlroy during the final round of the